Sketchy deals, backstabbers, and paranoia. Surely this can only mean some suspicious activity is going on! Will you take the gamble and accept the deal? Are the stakes too high or just right?
This week, Shane from Comic Book Squares and ArtCrumbs have picked out four titles that they feel deserve more reads! In our line-up this week, we've got one comic from each category to give you a varied list of must-reads for your weekend!
- Comic - Grotesk: A collection of short sci/fi horror comics by Wesley Griffith.
- Comic - Mysterium: Based on the popular board game Mysterium, this story will keep you guessing as to how, where, and who was behind the murder.
- Manga - Rose of War: A warrior wields her rose-weapons, preparing for her ultimate battle!
- Webcomic - Redemption: By a stroke of luck, Hawk becomes the holder of a large mining claim, but others are out to take her claim! Others are out to claim her life!
Now that we've met our four fresh picks, let's dig into each of them!
GROTESK, 28 pages - Published by Wesley Griffith Comics, (cc/ @wesgriff1)
a collection of short sci/fi horror comics by Wesley Griffith
Story and Art by Wesley Griffith Comics
Comments from Shane @comicbooksquares:
A short story collection with old school indie comic goodness in the same vein as Robert Crumb
This collection of three short stories was everything I didn’t realize I needed. Full disclosure, I’m a sucker for old school indie comic art and sensibility and this book has tons of it. It’s unclear if Wesley Griffith did the writing or the art or some of the art, but since his name is the only one ever mentioned, I’m going to go on the assumption that he did everything. If this is in fact the case, then Wesley is one of the most talented creators I’ve come across.
Each story has a completely unique look and feel and you’d swear on your mother that they are all drawn by different artists. The bold solid colors and thick black lines and shadows of the first story fit the subject matter perfectly. To me, a short story is like a good joke, you need a quick set up and a gut punch of an ending. The first story, Irresistible gives you exactly what you need, sci-fi, gore and a great twist.
The second story, Time of Need, is one of those special stories that is only told through visuals. Not a word of dialog is used and you don’t need it. The art has a very wood print feel, which I love. The visuals and storytelling reminded me a little of the opening sequence for 2001 a Space Odyssey.
And lastly we are treated to, The Influencer. The art style on this piece is more simplistic blue ink which reminded me of doodles I would do in high school with my blue ink pen on lined paper. The story jumps right in and gets to the point with no fluff and leaves you with a great twist.
I know I’ll be looking for more work from Wesley after discovering this.
Mysterium, 74 pages - Published by Source Point Press, (cc/ @TravisM)
Will you dare to walk through the gates of the Mysterium Manor? Conrad MacDowell keeps encountering supernatural occurrences after moving into his new home. Along with a group of world renowned mystics, they will try to help a ghostly presence cross to the other side, all before time runs out! Based on the popular board game Mysterium, this story will keep you guessing as to how, where, and who was behind the murder.
Story and Art by Source Point Press
Comments from Shane @comicbooksquares:
A compendium to a board game.
Prior to reading this book, I was unaware that this is tied to a board game. The advertisement for the game appears at the very last page. With that said, I would have liked to know that information going in.
I’m not saying it’s a negative, I just wish I would have known. Since I’m doing this review, I feel like it’s my job to tell you this information so you can decide for yourself if this is the right book for you.
I will say that the art is wonderful and fun in a very traditional comic book way. What I mean by that is that the artist uses bold colors with thick black outlines that make the art jump off the page. Each character is very well defined and each given a moment to shine. My gut tells me that this is all done as a way to help you discover the mystery that you are watching unfold.
The story ends on a very serious cliffhanger that will make you want to seek out the second issue for answers. I will say that as a marketing tool, this comic made me want to seek out the board game. I’m sure the marketing team will love reading that, as I’m sure that was the goal.
Rose of War, 35 pages - Published by Cole Hart, (cc/ @ColdWorld)
The warmaster seeks a foe that would be worthy of him. Could this girl Jax Redgrave be his nemesis come true?
Story and Art by Cole Hart
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
A wonderfully creative first release! From the lore, to the fighting styles and the designs!
The mysterious Warmaster is seeking out a battle worthy of him. We start with a lone traveler, Ms. Takashi, attacked by a strange warrior. Enter Jax Redgrave, and her rose-themed battle weapon. I really enjoyed watching her battle, as it's quite an unusual weapon. It brought up good memories of one of my favorite characters from the past, Kurama from YuYu Hakusho. However, Jax Redgrave seems like she'd give Kurama a run for his money! She's got a wide variety of attacks, and as the battle comes to a head, there's more important informaiton given about why she's seeking out this Warmaster.
I'm definitely looking forward to more, however there was one thing that stood out to me that I'd like to see improved. The lettering and bubbles seemed to be a little inconsistent. It was not unreadable by any means, but the size changed or seem stretched in wierd ways, or wasn't centered in the bubbles properly. I think that, if that small nitpick can be sorted out, this would be a really solid manga. Great job Cole!
Redemption, 50 pages - Published by MonkFrog, (cc/ @MonkFrog)
Hawk was on the losing side of The Mirave War and now struggles to survive on the fringes of civilization. By a stroke of luck she becomes the holder of a large mining claim. With a rarely sober ex-monster hunter and a naïve but talented carpenter she must make her way to the claim and the riches inside. Racing across a hostile land with enemies old and new looking to take her claim and her life
Story and Art by MonkFrog
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
Wild West Fantasy wasn't something that I knew that I needed! Hawk and her friend Elgar are on their way to a claim, a mining claim said to be worth piles and piles of riches. Things don't go according to plan, and to put it simply, it falls into an old-fashioned shootout. Lives get lost and new deals get made. Hawk, our "hero" here has a bounty on her head, Dead or Alive! She needs help getting to her claim, but she's really in no position to argue with her captors.
The artwork itself is also beautifully done, the perspective and dynamic paneling really makes it just an even better experience. I'm getting ready to sit down and start at Release #5, and I'm very excited to catch up over the weekend. Great Job MonkFrog!
That's all for now, but we'll have another set of Fresh Friday reading recommendations next week. If you're looking for more recommendations, make sure to opt-in for our weekly reading list email! You can find that in your User Profile Notification settings. You can also browse through our Featured Comics news section!
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